I was just curious, is there anyone on here who runs in races and does it as part of their workouts?

I run for half an hour 2-3 times and get into races when I can. The most I've done was 2 half-marathons.

Been slender all my life, so I've avoided running and focused more so on weights. The only running I've done is playing several hours of basketball a day, and that alone is killer because I have terribly flat feet.

Related Thread: Science Explains Why Runner Chicks Remain Fat

Running is terrible on the joints and provides no benefits that weightlifting and LISS cardio can't provide.

Quote: (01-31-2017 09:06 PM)Kurgan Wrote:  

I was just curious, is there anyone on here who runs in races and does it as part of their workouts?

I run for half an hour 2-3 times and get into races when I can. The most I've done was 2 half-marathons.

I keep my head down because I know what kind of reaction it provokes when anyone mentions 'distance running' on RVF...

I have a bunch of half marathons under my belt; when I have a race coming up I start a 12-week workup program. It's helped me improve my time somewhat but the biggest benefit I found was crossing the finish line and feeling good, not feeling like collapsing in a heap. The rest of the time I do what I call my 'maintenance runs', usually 3 times a week. I go quite early in the morning so there's a meditative quality I appreciate. I go year round, from summer heat to -35C in the winters. I've been running since I was about 10, so it's pretty much ingrained in my psyche.

I used to run a lot but stopped basically for reasons Redbeard described. I just find lifting and sprinting to be a better rush and has done wonders for my mental health. I found running to be getting frustrating, it was boring and stressful on my body with constant shin splints.

Either way, here is an ancient thread on marathon running that I found interesting. Maybe one day!
thread-3130.html

I love sprinting and will be putting that back into my workouts as soon as it stops being cold as shit up here in Canada. One of the best ways to burn fat. Also, as Komatiite mentions, it does wonders for your mental health and it works your posterior chain hard so you'll naturally walk around with your head up and your shoulders back, as if you own the place.

If you want to get into sprinting, I recommend sprinting up a slight hill / incline to start and focus on having decent form. Just watch a few YouTube videos and you'll get the basics. Also, warm up, I learned this the hard way. You can seriously injure yourself if you go all out on flat ground or, God forbid, downhill if you don't know what you're doing. Sprinting uphill slows you down and tends to force a posture will be much safer for you when you're just starting out.

That said, nothing against distance runners. Being able to run a decent distance, especially carrying something, is a very manly and commendable skill.

I alternate between running and jumping rope as my main cardio activities. Many times I run with weight on my backpack and alongside my pooch.

Useful or not to looks, its provides me a great way to "defragment" my thoughts and I've never suffered any joint injuries in all the years I've done it.
I Strongly suspect my genetics probably have a lot to, as most members of my family that have the same phenotype as me tend to excel at endurance and indeed lived lifestyles where it was required.

A long time ago when speaking to my doctor about a back injury he told me to restrict my lifting.

"Should I run then?"

"Why? Running does nothing really, except wear on your joints.
Do resistance training just load your spine less"

Not everyone responds the same to certain types of physical activity. I never ran like what I used to jokingly refer to as "white people running" in my teens or early 20s unless I was trying to catch a bus or I was playing sports. It honestly looked gay to me and growing up in a majority Black part of Metro Atlanta most of my life, I never saw anyone doing it around where I lived.

I never ran in college either although I did capoeira for many years. It all started when I joined the Army in 2012. I fucking hated running, and I hated being forced to run 2 to 3 times a fucking week. But you know what? When I would go back to the Mainland to visit family for short holidays amd vacation I would always pack my running clothes and squeeze in at least 2 runs during the vacation.

I loved it! Especially being that very few Black people, at least according to my perception, actually RUN! Running around San Diego and Atlanta was great. For once, a Black man is running for health and not from the Police (lol). Honestly I think I look good running, and I feel this was evidenced by all the middle-aged Black women smiling me up in my face while I came flying up Peachtree Street in central Atlanta.

Running is such a freeing and uplifting activity. And you know what else? You can run with other people and share those positive feelings with others. I joined a running group via Meetup.com in Oahu. These guys literally ran about 5 miles around the beach and then we finished up at a home brewery in Honolulu and pounded nice cold microbrew beers and got extra tipsy because of our increased heartrates and metabolisms.

Running also promotes neurogenesis; the formation of new brain matter: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/20...083606.htm

Running is great for networking, making friends and even meeting cuties. Does running put wear and tear on the body? Yes,so you have to give yourself time to recover. That being said, having served 4 years active duty in the Army all I can say is, "ice that bitch, take a fucking naproxen, stretch and quit being a little bitch".

I honestly think RVF community is doing men a disservice by discrediting the benefits of running. All this "cardio is for pussies" stuff needs to stop. There is no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes which physical activities are the most beneficial to men.

Long term cardio, whether it's running, swimming, or cycling, should be part of every athletic training program. The duration and frequency depends on what type of sport you're training for, but it is necessary. Here is a good article on the science behind running for athletic training:

Don't Run? Don't Fight!

Echoing what others have said; it is a crucial meditative exercise. It allows you to tune out the usual thoughts that force themselves into your consciousness and focus on the task at hand. I do some of my best thinking and reflection when out on a run.

Quote: (02-01-2017 02:51 PM)J. Spice Wrote:  

Long term cardio, whether it's running, swimming, or cycling, should be part of every athletic training program. The duration and frequency depends on what type of sport you're training for, but it is necessary. Here is a good article on the science behind running for athletic training:

Don't Run? Don't Fight!

Echoing what others have said; it is a crucial meditative exercise. It allows you to tune out the usual thoughts that force themselves into your consciousness and focus on the task at hand. I do some of my best thinking and reflection when out on a run.

Shit yeah. Distance running makes you focus on your breathing, which is a real meditative type thing. It's good for cleaning out the mental plumbing so to speak.

And blasting downhill through Central Park on a bike at 30MPH is fucking exhilarating. I like lifting more, but you just feel so alive when you're going full blast on a bike.

I try to run at least 2-3 times a week, on the off days when I'm not lifting.

Started with a program called C25K (couch to 5K), using an app called RunDouble on the play store - shows your stats, location, c25k 8-week program, with an announcer that occasionally tells you your average pace and halfway points.

I recommend it if you're new and have no endurance, it's pretty useful - just treat it like a game!

Now I do free-runs (the app tracks those too). I want to be able to run a 5K at a 6 min/mile pace, that is my ultimate goal. I'm super slow though, so it's going to take me a while - still kind of new to this. But I'm really starting to like running a lot, glad there's a thread now.

Quote: (02-01-2017 02:51 PM)J. Spice Wrote:  

Long term cardio, whether it's running, swimming, or cycling, should be part of every athletic training program. The duration and frequency depends on what type of sport you're training for, but it is necessary. Here is a good article on the science behind running for athletic training:

Don't Run? Don't Fight!

Echoing what others have said; it is a crucial meditative exercise. It allows you to tune out the usual thoughts that force themselves into your consciousness and focus on the task at hand. I do some of my best thinking and reflection when out on a run.

Late Reply, I wanted to thank you for this amazing link!
I've applied some of those measurements to my own performance and was able to solve many a question and doubts I had about my own performance.
(It also makes me want to ditch everything and go get my ass kicked in a kickboxing gym in Thailand)

when I was in high school I ran 5 to 6 miles 5 times a week of more. then my knees started to ache and I switch my shoes to the 5 finger shoes. then I just used griping for cardio.

I did enjoy the runners high you get after a couple miles, and I attribute my ridiculous stamina to running. but these days it's 15 to 25 minutes of Max on a free motion machine.

I love running. Started back just this past week. Nothing takes the wind out of you like a nice run. Those cardio machines just don't cut it.

I believe running should be added to the Roosh V program, it boosts my confidence, focus, and made me last 10+ minutes on my first bang.

Quote: (02-05-2017 12:00 PM)Thrill Jackson Wrote:  

Nothing takes the wind out of you like a nice run.

Well I've already outed myself as a runner, so... cross country skiing will really take it out of you. I don't mean a slow plod across a flat plain, but a good hard pace over technical (i.e. lots of up and down) terrain.

I'm lucky enough to live within an hour - hour and a half max of some excellent skiing; the uphills are gruelling, the downhills are demanding. It's a bit like doing sprints or interval training, in the sense that you can recover while going downhill, however you can't completely relax because you're still working at staying on the trail and not crashing into the woods.

The cardio is great, if I'm pushing hard it won't take long before like I feel I'm going to throw up (I never feel like that from just running). Also, take the meditative aspect of running and multiply by 10. There's something about the solitude in the forest in winter that does that.

Ran for years and did a bunch of 5ks, 8ks, and 10ks. Then I got "the worst meniscus tear" a couple doctors had ever seen and decided my running days were behind me.

Protip: If your knee really hurts, even in the middle of the race, stop. Don't keep running.

Couple of years ago I tore a tendon in my hand knocking a dude out. Couldn't lift for 4 months. Decided to take up track.

Best I could do after a few months of training was a 61s 400m and and 2:10 800m. It was fun racing in my mid 30s against dudes 15 years younger, and staying competitive. Training was 3-4x a week for 30-45 min.

Highly recommend it. Lots of programs online that you can use. Got into good shape and it was fun to be out of gym. Just a warning -800m is brutal!

I used to be a competitive runner in HS (XC and track) and of course I ran a lot in the army. It was okay I guess; I enjoyed the camaraderie more than the actual running and competition. 400m was a lot of fun, though I was probably better suited to the 800m.

I can't run for shit now. I doubt I could run a mile, because my lower legs and left hamstring are fucked up from various injuries unrelated to running. I don't really miss distance running, but I miss the joy of sprinting. I loved the feeling of sheer power I'd get in an all out sprint. I hope if I keep training and working on my legs I'll be able to sprint again some day.

I doubt I'll ever pick up distance running again. I'm a lot more muscular than I used to be, after all. I'll stick with hiking and XC skiing if I want to cover ground.

I believe we have a thread somewhere on barefoot-style running. I made the switch about four years ago and have barely had any knee or hip pain since. I run 3-4 times a week for 30-45 minutes each time. I know that running at a moderately intense pace doesn't burn as many calories as other exercise routines, but I like being outside and looking at things.

I love running but this piece in the NY Times should be considered fake news.

NYT: An Hour of Running May Add 7 Hours to Your Life

Quote:Quote:

Running may be the single most effective exercise to increase life expectancy, according to a new review and analysis of past research about exercise and premature death. The new study found that, compared to nonrunners, runners tended to live about three additional years, even if they run slowly or sporadically and smoke, drink or are overweight. No other form of exercise that researchers looked at showed comparable impacts on life span.

Near the end, they acknowledge that the claim is based on associational studies. In other words, it's intriguing at best but far from conclusive and close to worthless.

Quote:Quote:

Of course, the findings in this new review are associational, meaning that they prove that people who run tend also to be people who live longer, but not that running directly causes the increases in longevity. Runners typically also lead healthy lives, Dr. Lee says, and their lifestyles may be playing an outsize role in mortality.

I'm not sure who the bigger frauds are in this symbiotic pair: the 'scientists' who publish this rubbish or the journalists who run with it. And let's not forget the baby boomer marathoners who eat this crap up as if it were the the last GU supplements at the 25-mile water stand.

I always do a little bit of running for the cardiovascular health benefits in addition to regular weight training. Nothing major, just 10-15 minutes max most days. Sometimes I'll mix in some sprint work. No interest in doing competitive running or marathon training. I think the long distance stuff beyond a mile or two does most of the structural damage long term. If you have a family history of heart problems you should definitely be doing some regular cardio. I dropped cardio for quite a while thinking weight training was enough. Once I started doing regular cardio I realized how bad my conditioning had become. Have run into a lot of people who thought they were healthy who ended up with health scares related to the heart in their 40's.

A lot of people think cardio will kill your gains but if you keep it in moderation it shouldn't affect you. And if you've been lifting a long time already it has no effect in my experience.

I'm back to my original post. I decided to take some time off to work on weightlifting and do some biking instead of running so I don't wear my knees out. I've been running for 8 years come this June. I decided that I need to improve my muscles more and my diet.

I started running this week. I have never been a runner, but I have done several 5k's and a few 10k's. I raced bicycles for about 10 years, but running was never something I did due to an ACL reconstruct. I swim well too. I am training now for this workout called Murph, for Memorial Day, and I want to break my PR for the workout, which includes a small amount of running.

I also want to run my fastest 5k this year, around 23 minutes. I ran three times this week and I am going to back it off to 2x per week, and lift the rest of the days. So I will lift 4x a week, and run 2x a week. My runs right now are 35-45 minutes long, and they are tough, but the above posters are right, its incredibly meditative, and once you are in the zone, it becomes much easier and enjoyable. The whole "don't run" thing is impractical, and doesn't apply to most people or sports, only gym rats/powerlifters, etc.

Guys, i ask you some advice: I recently began to hit the gym, and as part of the routine i hit the treadmill for at least 15 minutes (really running for about half, i am way out of shape). This is to build some more cardio. The thing is, i found it boring as fuck, and also my calfs hurt like hell. Any recomendation to make the escercise more palatable, or do you recomend another kind of cardio activity?